Chapter Four: For Better or Worse, Remember?

Chase woke when she felt her husband shifting in the bed. Her dark green eyes opened slightly to see him sleeping peacefully at her side. She glanced at the clock. 6:20AM. This was far too early.

She frowned over at her soundly sleeping husband. He would not wake fully until he wished to. She sighed and slipped out of bed, quickly slipping on her jeans and tank top. She slid her feet into the slippers that were by the door and quietly walked out.

The young assassin made her way down the hall, not quite sure of her destination. She found herself in the observatory. It was a large room with a clear ceiling for viewing space as it passed. A lone figure stood in the middle. "Ohayo, Trowa-kun. What are you doing here this early?"

The young man turned to her and allowed a small smile to cross his face. "I could ask you the same, Chase-chan."

"I'm glad to see you took a break. You were working yourself to death yesterday."

"I didn't want to think about what we saw."

Chase nodded. She had crossed the distance between them and was now standing next to the young pilot. She looked up and a pair of green eyes met another. She did not know quite what to say.

He turned away quickly. It hurt, sometimes, to see her so close, yet so far away. He understood Ryuujin's absence from the small group. He envied him sometimes. He wanted to run away from her and get as far from the memories as possible. At times he thought it would drive him insane. At times. This was one of those times.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," Chase said in a rush.

Trowa blinked and turned back to face the small woman. Her eyes were fixated on her own boots and a deep blush ran across her nose and cheeks. He smiled slightly and placed a hand under her chin, pulling up slightly so that she was looking him in the face. "You have no need to apologize to me, Chase-chan."

"Yes I do!" she argued. "Sometimes I see you and Ryuujin, and. I feel so guilty. You two do mean the world to me still, but I had to make a choice. Somehow I wish I could set it all strait, like always, but this is something I don't know how to fix. I've never been able to figure out my own heart, much less someone else's. Gomen nasai," she said again as she bowed, showing her apology even deeper than her words could say.

Trowa could not help but smile. "You did what you thought was best. I can handle myself, Chase-chan. Heero needs you and you need him. Somehow you two balance each other out. You do that for Ryuujin as well - in some odd way - but Heero was whom you chose. I understand that, and I believe Ryuujin will in time. They say time heals, ne?"

Tears glistened in the young woman's eyes. "I know, but I feel wrong for causing the wounds that need to be healed."

"Don't tell me this is what got you up, Chase-chan."

"Iie, I've been waking early lately. This is just the first time I've been able to talk with you one on one." She sighed. "I worry, sometimes, what would happen if Heero found out about us."

Trowa's eyes widened a bit, focusing on something behind the young woman. "Eh?" Chase questioned as she turned. Her dark emerald eyes were caught by the dark blue ones of her husband. Heero did not say a word as he turned and left. Chase started after him and then stopped.

"Nani?" Trowa asked. "Shouldn't you-"

"If he does not wish to be found, he will not be. You know Heero. He'll come to me when he's ready." There was a certain tone in her voice that Trowa could not place. He knew as well as she did that Heero would feel betrayed before anything. All the pilots knew that the young Japanese man was very possessive over his wife, and they all knew the bit of friction that Ryuujin's return had brought. This would light the fire that had been flickering and threatening.

"If you think that's best," Trowa said simply.

"I do. He has to trust me," the smaller pilot whispered. He had to..

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You did well, Captain," Tyler said as he raised his wine glass toward Ares and offered him one as well.

The young captain shook his head. "I don't drink in celebration of death, sir."

Tyler cocked an eyebrow. "In celebration of death? What a morbid way to look at it, my boy! This is a celebration of victory!"

"If you'll excuse my ignorance, sir, but victory over what?"

"Over the Gundam pilots!" Tyler exclaimed. "They are a legend in the making and we have proven that they can be defeated today!"

Ares looked at him blankly. "How did we do that, sir?"

"Did you see them there? They missed the attack completely. They were unable to save their precious innocence and it was slaughtered before their eyes." Tyler smiled broadly and brought the glass to his lips. "We have won a battle against the Gundam pilots and lived to tell about it, my friend! This is to be celebrated." He once again offered the wine to the boy.

Ares sighed and took it. "And what do we cheer to, sir? Victory by a massacre?"

"You sound so upset over it. They were soldiers and the families of soldiers."

"The families were civilians, sir!"

"They were in our way to victory."

"Sir, did you choose that ship for the ammunition or for those that were on it?" Ares asked darkly.

Tyler chuckled. "You see through my façade. I knew you were a smart boy when I picked you up. You're family was holding you back."

"And now they're not, because of your. victory over them, sir," Ares said coldly, a humourless smile crossing his pale lips. He raised his glass. "To you victory, sir," the youth said. He swallowed the wine, bitter flavor filling his senses and nearly making him gag. He hated wine. He set the glass down firmly on the desk and turned to leave.

"You have not been dismissed, Captain," Tyler said dangerously.

"Forgive me, sir. I thought we were done here. I gave my report."

"You did that, and I thank you, and is turning in a huff anyway to repay me for my thanks?"

Ares saw a dangerous glint in the man's eyes. He wasn't right in the head. The teen shifted uncomfortably. "Forgive me, sir," he replied in a humble voice.

Tyler nodded. "I have another job for you."

"Yes sir?"

"I want you to go to the Pacific." Ares' stomach knotted. Not again. "And I want you to take Chase Yuy from it. I want her here tonight. It should not be too difficult for a man of your ranking and talent."

"Sir."

Tyler smiled a sadistic smile that sent shivers up the boy's spine. "Get on with it, Captain."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was late that night before Heero Yuy stepped into the room he shared with his wife. He found her reading, but her dark green eyes met his blue ones when she heard his entrance. "I thought you wouldn't come after a while," she said quietly.

"Maybe I should have staid out."

"Baka."

"Why am I a baka now, Chase?"

The bitterness in his voice put Chase's nerves on edge, ready to snap back. "Because you jump to conclusions without hearing me out," she growled.

"I heard enough this morning. There's nothing more to discuss."

"Damn it, Yuy," the brunet growled. "Put your stubbornness aside for two moments and listen like a rational human being."

"I've heard enough," he hissed.

"Get out," Chase whispered. A questioning look past through the Japanese man's dark orbs. "You heard me. Get out! If you aren't willing to listen then go away."

"This is why I asked you if you would leave me," Heero muttered as he turned and left the room.

Chase stood, anger building. How dare he? How dare he make an assumption without thinking it through when it had such amazing side effects? She picked up the nearest solid object, a gun sitting on the bedside table, and hurled it across the room. Glass shattered when it collided with the mirror. The young woman slumped to the ground, tears threatening. "Stubborn man," she muttered.

*~*~*~*~*~*
The sound of the door sliding open woke Chase with a start. "I thought I told you to get out," she mumbled, attempting to focus her tired eyes. When they did focus, it was not the form of her husband that she saw. She shrank back against her pillows. "Dare.?"

"Come with me quietly, Ms. Yuy, and I can guarantee your safety."

"The hell I will!" Chase growled as she jumped out of bed when the man approached. She recognized his soft, feminine voice from the day the Atlantic had been attacked.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." The man jumped for her, but she flipped over the bed and rushed toward the door. She felt him grab her wrist and throw her back. She was not awake enough to fight this battle. She groped around in the darkness for something, anything she could use as a weapon. Her hand brushed against a shard of glass from the broken mirror. She took it in her hand and lashed out with it, eyes still mostly blind in the dark room.

The man fell back slightly, holding his face with one hand. His eyes turned toward her and she saw the violet flecks in them seemingly glow in the darkness. "I'm afraid I have no choice but to take you with me. I would do differently if I had my way, Miss."

He moved faster than she thought he could. She felt the cloth go over her nose and mouth and she was forced to breathe the gas that sent her into darkness. Sweet, peaceful darkness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lee Ares fingered the cut along his left cheek as he walked down the hall way toward General Tyler's office. It had stopped bleeding after a while, but he knew it might leave a trace of a scar. That was not something he looked forward to.

He rapped softly on the door of his superior's office. The man was up in the earliest hours of the morning doing his work. He would be up and in there now.

"Enter."

Ares stepped in, hearing the door swish behind him. The fire was blazing and it made the room warmer than the young captain preferred. He pulled slightly at the high collar of his uniform. The sooner he got out of this man's presence, the better.

"You have something for me?" Tyler asked as he sipped at his ever- present wine glass.

"Yes sir. Ms. Yuy is in a secured room, per your order, sir."

"Very good, Ares."

He stood in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, waiting for a dismissal, anything, from the elder man. He focused his violet-flecked eyes on the blond man. "Is that all, sir?" he pressed.

"No," Tyler said with a sigh. "I want you to go to Ms. Yuy and bring her to me. Unharmed."

Ares nodded. "Yes sir." That said, he turned and left. What a mess he had gotten himself into..

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dark, emerald eyes slid open slowly. They focused on the on the ceiling above her first, then slowly she sat up and focused on the man sitting in a chair across the room. This was her first good look at Lee Ares. He was small, as she had previously noticed. His eyes were slanted slightly, showing an Asian bloodline, though his skin was fair, showing European decent. His hair was a dark colour, though she saw it was violet instead of black. His eyes were brown, mostly, with violet flecks in them to match his hair. He wore the read uniform, obviously a highly ranked uniform with all of the decorations on it. It was high cut in a Chinese fashion. Overall, the young man looked no older than twenty, but his eyes looked far older. He stood.

"I'm glad to see you awake," he said quietly. "General Tyler will be even more pleased."

Chase's green eyes narrowed and she said nothing.

"My name is Captain Lee Ares. I'm in control of this ship you are on. I hope you enjoy your stay. General Tyler says that you are to be a welcomed guest."

"Then why was I forced to come?"

"She speaks," Ares muttered with a slight smirk playing on his pale features. "I was beginning to think you didn't, and from what the General says, you have quite a mouth on you."

Chase noticed for the first time since she had woken that she was still in her sleeping pants and tank top. Her glare intensified. "Shi ne."

"I'm sure," the captain answered. "But until you get a chance the General would like a word with you. Obviously you can't see him while wearing that that-" he pointed at her attire - "so I suggest that you look in the closet and find something suitable."

Chase watched him leave, and then stood. She padded her way over to the small closet and found two dresses. She groaned. She hated dresses. They were the same, but two separate sizes. She pulled down the one closest to her size and put it on, noticing that it was something she would never wear.

The young assassin scrunched her nose slightly and changed. She turned in the mirror to look at herself. Very rarely did she wear dresses at all. Her wedding had been the first time since she entered the world, and some other events in the past years had required more formal wear than she was use to. Meeting an enemy was not one of them. That usually required her tank top and jeans or her flight/space suit.

A light knock on the door startled her. It slid open and Ares stepped in. "It suits you."

"No, it doesn't," Chase replied simply. "I despise dresses."

"It still suits you," Ares answered. "General Tyler wishes to see you now."

The small pilot frowned deeply, but complied. She walked after the captain of the ship, careful not to trip over the long dress. At least it was black. That suited her mood at the current time.

They reached a door and it slid open. Chase walked in to see a well - furnished office. Her eyes scanned the darkness, landing on the picture above the fireplace. Her breath caught. The USS Arizona.

"Sadist," she muttered.

"Thank you," Tyler responded with a smile on his face. "Come a little closer, Chase. I'd like a good look at you."

Chase glared as she stepped forward. "You killed all of those innocent people. Doshite?" she asked in harsh Japanese.

"Why do you not speak your native language, Chase?"

This caught her slightly off guard. "That's a pointless question while discussing other matters."

"It's not pointless if I wish to know it."

Chase growled a low curse. Her frustration and anger led to her inability to come up with a worth wild response, so she glared.

Tyler shrugged. "Answer my question and I shall answer yours."

"I am comfortable using the Japanese language." Simple enough. It did not reveal anything further than she intended.

Tyler smiled. "Now, why did I kill all those 'innocent' people, you ask?" A spark lit in his golden eyes. "To get the Gundam pilots attention."

The world stopped suddenly. He did it because of them? All those lives. So many children and families. Because of them? Chase's eyes widened and she paled visibly. No. Masaka.

"I wished to prove that you people aren't the gods that those on Earth believe you to be."

"We never claim to be gods."

"You may not, but the people of Earth see you as the ones that protect them. You are the ones that stand for everything right and good in this universe," he spat out sarcastically. "You are the ones whom take care of those who can do nothing for themselves and punish those who try to steal innocents." He paused, taking a sip of his wine and smiling again. "Did it hurt, Ms. Yuy, to see those children?"

Tears stung the young woman's eyes as she lunged forward, only to be caught by Ares from behind. "Heartless demon!" she hissed.

Tyler smiled again. "I'll take that as a 'yes,' Ms. Yuy. You could have prevented it, you know." He watched her eyes as she glared hatefully at him. "You could have met our demands in the first place."

"Nani? What demands?"

Tyler's eyebrows rose slightly. "Why, the ones we gave to the Earth's government. The different leaders of the Earth knew our demands, yet you failed to take precautions to save the innocents on that ship."

"We knew nothing of your demands. All we knew of is that you've been destroying cities on earth randomly and have now taken to space."

Tyler continued to smile. "Then you weren't well informed, Commander. Apparently none of you were, but that doesn't excuse you. We dropped all the hints necessary. Did it take Mr. Barton that long to figure out where I would strike? I thought he knew enough from my past to predict my future actions. He is quite good at that." The smile on his face turned to more of a smirk, the pleasantness turning to something that sent shivers up Chase's spine. "And you, Commander, had ever resource available to figure out where I would strike and my reasons behind it." He looked down into the remaining liquid in his wine glass, and then met Chase's eyes. "I'd say your grandfather fought in that war, ne? That would be your time period, wouldn't it, Chase Yuy?"

The young pilot's breath caught and she was sure her heart had skipped several beats. How did he know? How could he know? The pilots and Ryuujin were the only ones that knew of her world hopping and not being of that world. Fear ran through her small body. "Naze.?"

Tyler let out a chuckle. "Yare yare, Chase-san, that is not for you to know just yet. Captain, the young lady is looking rather ill. Please escort her back to her room."

"Iie," Chase said in a low growl. She pulled away from Ares' grip and slammed the palms of her hands against Tyler's desk, upsetting the glass set there. He frowned as it spilled, but made no move to clean it. "I want answers, yaro," she hissed. "I want to know just how much you know of me and how. I want to know why you are attacking the innocent people of this world and what this new gundanium type material is."

Tyler smirked once more as he noticed the cross hanging from the woman's neck. "What are your beliefs, Chase? Does this mean something or is it just a symbol you wear?"

"I believe what it stands for," the pilot whispered.

Tyler chuckled. "Could you stand before your God now with hands as bloodied and filthy as yours? That is what the people don't know, isn't it, Ms. Yuy? They don't know how many of the innocent people you have killed in order to save them all. Was it worth it, Commander? Was it worth all the innocent blood you shed?" The glint in the man's eyes returned. "Could you stand before your God today?" he repeated. For good measure, he wrapped his fingers around the necklace and tugged hard. The young pilot's hands on the desk kept her from falling with it, but the necklace was ripped from her neck. "Take the young lady back to her room."

Ares grabbed onto Chase's bare shoulders and pulled her with him, whispering into her ear, "If you don't struggle, it will make it easier on both of us."

Chase watched Tyler's smug face as she was dragged out. "Yaro!" she called back at the closing door, face read with anger.

Ares led her back to the room and entered behind her, closing it after him. He stood on a chair and took down a small listening devise from its hiding spot. "It's best if a woman has her privacy, ne?" He turned to the young woman, eyes locking with hers. "Why do you do what you do? And what did he mean by what he said in there?"

Chase took a deep breath. "I believe innocents needs to be preserved as long as possible, and if you go around killing it like you did that can't happen," she hissed. She saw the younger man's eyes drop to the floor and her voice softened involuntarily. "And the other is my business alone. And you, Ares? Why do you follow that demon in there blindly?"

Ares shrugged as he dropped into a chair and slouched back. "It's what I've known the past six years."

"Six years?"

"Like the General's comments, my past is none of your business, Commander." He sighed heavily. "I'm tired of all this. I want out." His violet-flecked eyes focused on her emerald ones. "If I help you escape, will you help me in return?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

"She's gone," Heero announced as he entered the mess hall where everyone was eating breakfast.

"Excuse me?" Anna asked as her ears perked. She knew that something had happened between Chase and Heero the morning before, but didn't quite know what. Something that had to do with Trowa.

"Chase is gone. She's not in our room. She's not anywhere to be found."

"HEERO!!" a frantic voice sounded from down the hallway.

The group turned to see a wide-eyed Marimaea Kushranada running down the hallway and strait toward them. Her blue eyes locked with the elder man's and she caught her breath. "Chase-nee-san is missing!"

"I know. It would be helpful to know where."

The young teen shook her head. "A man came last night. I was out of my room - please don't tell Une-sama - and I saw him break into yours and Chase's room. A man that was standing guard caught me and knocked me out. Sally- san just let me out of the med room, gomen ne!" she said as she bowed, finishing her explanation.

"Do you know what the man looked like?" Trowa asked from his spot at the table.

"He was small, Asian and European mix, dark hair and dark eyes, and he was wearing a red uniform shirt with the emblem of the New Revolution soldiers on it. Tyler took Chase-nee-san!"

Heero's eyes narrowed and he started out.

"Heero!"

He turned and faced Anna. "Unless you're coming with me to help find her, shut up and let me go."

The young woman smirked. "That's my best friend. I'm not letting you go alone."

"Nor am I," Trowa said as he stood. "I know there are unresolved problems between the three of us at the moment, but I would like to help find her. Heero, let us put this behind us to save your wife, ne?"

Heero nodded. "Fine. Whoever is coming, hurry up and come."

"Heero?" The Japanese man turned to meet the wide blue eyes of the small redhead. "Bring Chase-nee-san back safe, ne?" the little girl asked. "Onegai?"

"I'll do my best."

"Domo arigatou!" the young teen exclaimed as she hugged him around the waist. He nodded and left, the other pilots and Ryuujin going with him.

Marimaea watched them leave the Pacific with hopeful eyes. She felt Une's hand rest on her shoulder. "Do you think they'll find her in time?"

"I'm sure they will," Lady Une responded with a smile. "Anyways, you know Chase is a fighter. She won't go down easily."

Marimaea nodded with a smile.

Profile: 04

Name: Quatre Winner Age: 21 Height: 5'11 Weight: 150lbs Hair Colour: blond Eye Colour: Aqua Gundam: Sandrock Custom Past: The son of a wealthy business man on L4, he was the youngest and only boy amongst 29 (test tube) sisters.

Chase blinked confused green eyes. "Help you escape?"

"I'm a prisoner of my own ship. As long as Tyler's here I've got no control over my own actions without my life being threatened. I've seen firsthand what he does to people who he believes are in the way."

"He killed your family, didn't he, Ares?" Chase asked in a soft voice.

"Yes," Ares whispered, eyes thoughtful at the memories that flooded back. "My parents I know for sure. He made sure I saw that. He told me later on that he had killed Luke, Lin, and Lydia-chan." He smiled as he thought of his youngest sister. His eyes flashed as hatred ran through them. "I have had no choice but to do this, and after the Atlantic incident I had about decided I'd rather die than do that again. I had been making plans for my crew when he demanded to have you brought here. Now I feel responsible for you as well."

Chase's eyes softened towards the young man. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can come with us, Lee-kun," she said with a smile. "Do what we do."

"And what is that?"

"Repent our sins by trying to preserve more innocents than we have destroyed. You can't repent if you are dead, ne?"

Ares looked at the smiling woman before him. "Domo arigatou, Chase- san. You remind me of my little sister, do you know that?"

Chase blinked. "How's that?"

"Untamable and unyielding spirit. That can be a good thing, especially with you," he said when he received a strange look. "A strong will, in a way. I've seen what the Gundam pilots went through and I know how hard it must be to look yourself in the mirror. I know after all those people."

"Don't worry, ne, Lee-kun? Let's go."

He nodded and stood from his chair. He pulled a spare gun from his belt and handed it to the young pilot. She took it and ran a hand over it, inspecting it and finding the safety, unlocking it. A smirk appeared across her face. "Let's go."

A/N: Yet another chapter done. I tried to make Lee-kun's past dramatic as possible for future chapters. It will work its way in again. ^_~ Anyway, as you may have noticed (and may even know if you've read other works with Chase-chan in it) that Chase has trouble with different things. Especially handling her emotions. She had a difficult time confronting Trowa with her apology and waited the longest possible time to talk to Heero on what he over heard. This probably made matters worse, giving him time to mull over it and her time to become angry over his absence and quickness to jump to the conclusions on her and Trowa's relationship. I'm sure you noticed how evil Tyler really is. I wrote this story for the fist time probably about a year ago. I've really learned a lot through working on Time and Time Again with Anna-chan and other pieces of work of done along the way. I hated Tyler the fist time around, this time I despise the ground he walks on. The man is pure evil and should be locked away for eternity. And as to the "yaro" it means bastard. *shrugs* He is. TBC